Popovich: Jefferson as Elliott

They played for the University of Arizona in different eras, but that didn’t stop Sean Elliott from going against Richard Jefferson. When Elliott was still with the Spurs, he would return to Tucson in the summer and scrimmage.

This is what Elliott said in 2001 of Jefferson: “He’s a much better defender than I was in college, and a much better athlete.”

All of which makes Gregg Popovich’s analysis more telling. When asked the last time the Spurs had a player with Jefferson’s kind of athletic ability, Popovich said Elliott.

“They are different. Jefferson is stronger at the rim than Sean was, and Jefferson runs better than Sean did,” Popovich said. “He likes getting out on the break. But Sean had a really quick first step, and he could post up. We haven’t had that since. Other teams post their wings on us, and now other teams will have something else to prepare for against us.”

Another comparison: Just as Popovich had to retool Elliott to become a defensive stopper, he will do the same with Jefferson.

“We’ll have to bring him back defensively,” Popovich said, “and that will be a different kind of challenge for him.”

Popovich is comfortable with all of this. He coached Jefferson in international play over two summers. And though he has seen Jefferson change — his 3-point shooting has improved — Popovich has a handle on who Jefferson is.

“He has a great sense of humor,” Popovich said. “There’s a give and take, and it’s the kind of personality that fits with the way we do things. He was his own man. He didn’t follow anyone else in Puerto Rico or Athens. He came and did his work, and he was pleasant about it. He was coachable.”